Improved automatic wagon-brake



S. J. & F. M. PICKERIL'L. AutomaticWagon Brake.

Patented .lany 25, 1870: r

- tinned fittest SAMUEL J. PIGKERILL AND FRANCIS M. PIOKERILL, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA. Y

letters Patent No. 99,230, dated January 25, 1870.

IMPROVED AUTOMATIC WAGON-BRAKE.

I The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part of the same.

We, SAMUEL J. PICKERILL and FRANCIS M. Pion- ERILL, of Indianapolis, in the county, of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic \Vagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Object of the Intention.

Our invention relates to a self-acting class of wagon-brakes, the body or bed of the wagon being mounted on small anti-friction rollers, that are let into the upper surface of the bolster and sand-board, or securely fastened upon the upper face thereof, so that the bed has freedom to oscillate forward and back a few inches, when containing a load; and brake-rods being attached to the under side of the bed, at its forward end, are carried with it, and thus actuate the brakes when descending a steep incline.

A light elliptic spring is fastened to the rear axle, while its ends are resting against a cross-bar, or lugs fastened to the underside of the bed, so as to return the bed to its proper position, and thus free the brakeblocks-from the wheels, when the wagon comes on to level ground.

Description of theAccompang ing Drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon, with our brake applied;

General Description.

A is a cross-bar, securely bolted to the hounds of the wagon, just a little in front of the hind wheels, and serves the purpose of a base for brake-levers L L.

These brake-levers are fulcrumed to A, near their outer ends, while the inner ends pass and cross each other, reaching almost, or quite to the opposite edge of the wagon, where the rods R R are attached.

These levers must be about the length here indicated, to make the self-acting practically efiicient, but they will admit of being a very little shorter than the width of the wagon-bed.

They' may be straight in shape, though, if made somewhat as they are here represented, the inner ends will stand out clear from each other, and more accessible for attaching brake-rods R R.

These brake-rods pass forward, and converge to a bracket, B, or in lieu of this bracket, a strong staple 'or staple-bolt may be used, where they are securely attached, this bracket or staple being first fastened to the under side of the bed-bottom.

r r are small anti-friction rollers for the wagon-bed to rest-on. They may be let into the bolster and sandboard, by mortising a suitable recess therein, or they may be secured to these, as shown in the accompanying drawings. In any case, they must be just inside the standards.

The chains 0 0 must possess sufficient strength to check the forward and back vibration of the wagonbed, when descending and ascending the steepest inclines.

One end of these chains must be secured to the rear axle, by a bracket, or any other equivalent device, while the other end is secured to the under side of the wagon-bed, also by bracket or staple, one chain in front, and the other in the rear of the axle.

When these check-chains are of proper length,-they limit the slide of the bed, and prevent the breaking or other violence of the standards; consequently these chains are'alternately taut and slack, as the bed may slide forward in going down-hill, and back when going up-hill, as illustrated infig. 3.

A spring, S, fig. 2, is fastened, to the hind axle, facing back, and its ends rest against blocks, or brackets D 1), shown by dotted lines, whichare secured to the under side of the wagon-bed, in such position, that when the bed slides forward, this spring is compressed, and it should be stiff enough to slidethe bed back when the vehicle reaches level ground. and thus take the brakes oil the wheels.

The arrows, in figs. 1 and- 2, show the direction of the movement of different parts of this brake, that when the brake-rods R R are pulled forward by the wagon-bed, the long arm of levers L, is moved in the same direction, and this movement brings the brakeblocks in contact with the wheels, and so retards the wagon, without taxing the driver or his team.

We are aware of the similarity between our invention, and a self-acting brake, patented by O. A. Slack, on the 21st of January, 1862, so far as the position of the brake-bars, and the mode of operating them, goes. So far as this analogy exists, we disclaim any originality; but our experience has proved the worthless character of short brake-bars, like his, that.

they "have not sufi'ioient leveragepower, and here our brake-bars L L, with spring S, cheek-chains O G, and

invention begins, by extending these brake-bars L L, anti-frictioni-rollers 'r r, all constructed, arranged, and lapping them past each other, so as to give four times operating substantially as set forth, and-for the purthe leverage power possessed by his, Without which, poses described.

as a self-acting brake, is wholly inoperative. SAMUEL J. PIGKERILL.

FRANCIS M. PIOKERILL. Chum.

Witnesses: What we claim, therefore, as our invention, is- E. T. BUssELL,

The combination and arrangement of long lapping L. BUssELL. 

